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COLUMBUS -- Penn State's game with Michigan this past Saturday began slightly after 4:30 p.m. The Lions defense showed up late to the party.

Michigan scored two touchdowns and a field goal on its first three possessions, moving a total of 209 yards in 30 plays as its spread option looked unstoppable.

The Wolverines didn't score again, but it's clear to the Penn State players that a similarly slow start won't cut it tonight against Ohio State's option attack.

"There's no room for that kind of lapse to start the game," linebacker Tyrell Sales said, indicating that the sentiment had been communicated to the entire team.

Penn State's defensive resurgence against Michigan seemed to coincide with a shakeup in the linebacker corps, in which freshman Michael Mauti was substituted for Sales at one outside spot, and redshirt sophomore Bani Gbadyu went in for Josh Hull inside.

But after the game, coach Joe Paterno and defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said it was not necessarily a linebacker shortcoming. They reiterated that this week.

"Our problem was the down linemen," Paterno said. "The down linemen had problems because of the pace of the game. They were on us, and we weren't quite ready for them. Once we got that thing settled down and got some people a little bit better adjusted to the blocking schemes and stuff like that, then it made that a little bit easier for the linebackers because they didn't have people on top of them right away."

Mauti and Gbadyu played, according to Bradley, "because they've been practicing well, and we wanted to get them some reps. I wouldn't read too much into that (their playing)."

Penn State (8-0, 4-0) also had experienced problems early with the Illinois spread option and its no-huddle pace in late September, giving up touchdowns on the first two Illini possessions before settling down in an eventual 38-24 win.

"It's tough to simulate that pace in practice," Bradley said.

Sales indicated he hadn't been upset about being pulled early against Michigan. He did play extensively after that, finishing with 10 tackles, and was mentioned by Paterno as one of the linebackers who had played well.

"Nothing to get angry about" Sales said. "You roll with the punches."

The message the Penn State defensive front takes from the Michigan experience is to be more aggressive against the Buckeyes (7-1, 4-0), who share the Big Ten lead with Penn State.

"Come out early and attack instead of trying not to make mistakes," Odrick said.

Michigan was successful with Brandon Minor pounding inside and quarterback Steven Threet shaking loose outside. The Ohio State dual threat of 235-pound tailback Chris "Beanie" Wells and quarterback Terrelle Pryor, a former Jeannette standout, is a much more dynamic pair.

"It's going to be a huge test, but I think our defense is up for it," Odrick said.

A major challenge for the Penn State defense is handling Pryor, a 6-foot-6 player whose long stride and easy running style make him deceptively fast.

"One of the things that stands out is he's so smooth, you don't realize how fast he's traveling," said Bradley, who had tried to recruit Pryor to Penn State. "He runs with such ease, it is deceptive. You watch tape, and he outruns a lot of people who just take a bad angle on him, and he's gone."

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